Process and composition for treating of hair



United States Patent 3,266,994 PROCESS AND COMPOSITION FOR TREATING OFHAIR Carroll R. Reiss, Green Township, Hamilton County, and

J. Leon Lichtin, Springfield Township, Hamilton County, Ohio, assignorsto The Realistic Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio NoDrawing. Filed June 24, 1963, Ser. No. 290,I83

9 Claims. (Cl. 167-811) This invention relates to the treatment of hairas in the permanent waving thereof.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved process for wavingthe hair and chemicals for use in waving the hair.

A further object of this invention is to provide a hair waving methodand chemicals for use in hair waving which produce curls which retain atight uniform helical shape on drying and which maintains its improvedshape after repeated washings or other treatments which normally weakencurl structure.

In the waving of hair, it is common practice to soften or treat the hairwith a reducing solution such as a solution of thioglycolic acid andammonium hydroxide in water which produces changes in the hair byreducing keratin and which softens the hair to permit shaping of thehair on a mandrel such as a curling rod or the like. An oxidizing agentis applied to the treated hair to neutralize that portion of thereducing agent which remains on the hair and to oxidize the reducedkeratin to restore the strength thereof, but the strength is onlypartially restored upon treatment with the oxidizing agent. According toour improved method, we add a water-soluble, non-toxic salt of apolyvalent metal such as magneisum sulfate, aluminum sulfate, calciumacetate, calcium chlo ride, or the like to an aqueous solution ofoxidizing agent. Alternatively, we employ an aqueous solution of anoxidizing salt of a polyvalent metal such as magnesium brornate, calciumbrornate, aluminum brornate or the corresponding iodates or mixturesthereof in neutralizing and treating reduced keratin of the hair. Thehair fibres of waves neutralized with our improved compositions have asubstantially greater tensile strength than hair fibres neutralized withconventional oxidizing solutions, and the waves are longer lasting andhave a lesser tendency for fibres to separate from one another.

Oxidizing agents with which our salts can be used include water-solubleammonium, alkali and alkaline earth bromates, iodates, and periodates,hydrogen peroxide, and urea peroxide and the like.

Mixtures of the oxidizing agent and polyvalent salt can be made to forma mixture which can be dissolved in water, and in such a mixture, theoxidizing agent and polyvalent salt can be mixed in approximately theratio desired in the neutralizing solution. An example of such a mixturecontains 100 parts of sodium brornate and 280 parts of MgSO -7H O, allparts being by weight. In the neutralizer solution, it is preferred tohave substantially as great a concentration of polyvalent salt as can bemaintained in solution conveniently in order to obtain the maximumeffect from the polyvalent salt, but lesser concentrations can be usedif desired.

The following examples are given to illustrate the invention in greaterdetail, but it is to be understood that the examples are given primarilyby way of example, rather than by Way of limitation, except as set forthin the claims. In the following examples and in the remainder hereof,all parts or percentages are given by weight.

Example I A tress of hair including approximately 12 fibres of humanhair was wrapped around a quater-inch mandrel in helical fashion, forthree complete revolutions and held in place thereon. The tress wasimmersed in a reductant solution containing 7.0% thioglycolic acid andsuflicient ammonia to provide an excess and give a pH of 9.4. The tresswas immersed in the reductant for approximately 7 minutes and was thenrinsed thoroughly in tepid water. The tress was then immersed in aneutralizer solution which contained parts of sodium bromate, 280 partsof MgSO -7H O, 3 parts of sodium lauryl ether sulfate together withsufiicient sulfuric acid to bring the composition to a pH of 6.0 andsufficient water to make 1,000 parts of neutralizer solution. The tresswas immersed in the neutralizer for 7 minutes. The tress was then rinsedin tepid water and removed from the mandrel. On drying in air, the tressretained its uniform helical shape with very little change in diameterand the individual fibres showed no tendency to lose their helical shapeor separatefrom one another. On immersion in water, the tress exhibitedpractically no motion at all, neither expanding into a large helix norcontracting into a tight knotted configuration.

Example II A tress of hair including approximately 12 fibres of humanhair was wrapped around a quarter-inch mandrel in helical fashion, forthree complete revolutions and held in place thereon. The tress wasimmersed in a reductant solution containing 7.0% thioglycolic acid andsufiicient ammonia to provide an excess and give a pH of 9.4. The tresswas immersed in the reductant for approximately 7 minutes and was thenrinsed thoroughly in tepid water. The tress was then immersed in aneutralizer solution which contained 100 parts of sodium brornate, partsof Ca(C H O -H O, 3 parts of sodium lauryl ether sulfate, sufficientsulfuric acid to bring the composition to a pH of 6.0 and sufficientwater to make 1,000 parts of neutralizer. The tress was immersed in theneutralizer for 7 minutes. The tress was then rinsed in tepid water andremoved from the mandrel. On drying in air, the tress retained itsuniform helical shape with very little change in diameter and theindividual fibres showed no tendency to lose their helical shape orseparate from one another.

Example III A tress of hair including approximately 12 fibres of humanhair was wrapped around a quarter-inch mandrel in helical fashion, forthree complete revolutions and held 7 minutes and was then rinsedthoroughly in tepid water.

The tress was then immersed in a neutralizer solution. In thepreparation of the neutralizer, 100 parts of sodium bromate, parts ofboric acid and 3 parts of sodium alkyl phenoxyether sulfonate weredissolved in 882 parts of water to form a first solution. 38 parts ofwere dissolved in 62 parts of the first solution, and the resultantneutralizer solution was used at once. The tress was immersed in theneutralizer solution for 7 minutes. The tress was then rinsed in tepidwater and removed from the mandrel. On drying in air, the tress retainedits uniform helical shape with very little change in diameter and theindividual fibres showed no tendency to lose their helical shape orseparate from one another.

Example IV A tress of hair including approximately 12 fibres of humanhair was wrapped around a quarter-inch mandrel in helical fashion, forthree complete revolutions and held in place thereon. The tress wasimmersed in a reductant solution containing 7.0% thioglycolic acid andsufficient ammonia to provide an excess and give a pH of 9.4. The tresswas immersed in the reductant for approximately 7 minutes and was thenrinsed thoroughly in tepid water. The tress was then immersed in aneutralizer solution which contained parts of sodium periodate, 200parts of MgSO -7H O and sufiicient water to make 1,000 parts ofneutralizer. The tress was immersed in the neutralizer for 7 minutes.The tress was then rinsed in tepid water and removed from the mandrel.On drying in air, the tress retained its uniform helical shape with verylittle change in diameter and the individual fibres showed no tendencyto lose their helical shape or separate from one another.

Example V A tress of hair including approximately 12 fibres of humanhair was wrapped around a quarter-inch mandrel in helical fashion, forthree complete revolutions and held in place thereon. The tress wasimmersed in a reducta-nt solution containing 7.0% thioglycolic acid andsufiicient ammonia to provide an excess and give a pH of 9.4, The tresswas immersed in the reductant for approximately 7 minutes and was thenrinsed thoroughly in tepid water. The tress was then immersed in aneutralizer solution which contained 20 parts of sodium periodate, 300parts of MgSO -7H O and sufficient water to make 1,000 parts ofneutralizer. The tress was immersed in the neutralizer for 7 minutes.The tress was then rinsed in tepid water and removed from the mandrel.On drying in air, the tress retained its uniform helical shape with verylittle change in diameter and the individual fibres showed no tendencyto lose their helical shape or separate from one another.

Example VI A tress of hair including approximately 12 fibres of humanhair was wrapped around a quarter-inch mandrel in helical fashion, forthree complete revolutions and held in place thereon. The tress wasimmersed in la reductant solution containing 7.0% thioglycolic acid andsufiicient ammonia to provide an excess and give a pH of 9.4. The tresswas immersed in the reductant for approximately 7 minutes and was thenrinsed thoroughly in tepid water. The tress was then immersed in aneutralizer solution which contained 250 parts of commercial 6% hydrogenperoxide solution in water, 200 parts of Ca (CzHgOz 2 H20 and sufficientwater to make 1,000 parts of neutralizer. The tress was immersed in theneutralizer for 7 minutes. The tress was then rinsed in tepid water andremoved from the mandrel. On drying in air, the tress retained itsuniform helical shape with very little change in diameter and theindividual fibres showed no tendency to lose their helical shape orseparate from one another.

The neutralizing composition and method of treating hair are subject tovariation within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a process for treating hair to impart a permanent set theretowhich includes the steps of treating the hair with a reducing agent forkeratin and then treating the hair with an aqueous solution of anoxidizing agent for reduced keratin, the improvement which comprisesincluding in the solution of oxidizing agent at least 18 percent byweight of a water soluble non-toxic salt of a polyvalent metal selectedfrom the group consisting of magnesium, aluminum, and calcium.

2. In a process for treating hair to impart a permanent set theretowhich includes the steps of treating the hair with a reducing agent forkeratin and then treating the hair with an aqueous solution of anoxidizing agent for reduced keratin, the improvement which comprisesincluding in the solution of oxidizing agent at least 20 percent byweight of magnesium sulfate.

3. In a process for treating hair to impart a permanent set theretowhich includes the steps of treating the hair with a reducing agent forkeratin and then treating the hair with an aqeuous solution of anoxidizing agent for reduced keratin, the improvement which comprisesincluding in the solution of oxidizing agent at least 38 percent byweight of aluminum sulfate.

4. In a process for treating hair to impart a permanent set theretowhich includes the steps of treating the hair with a reducing agent forkeratin and then treating the hair with an aqueous solution of anoxidizing agent for reduced keratin, the improvement which comprisesincluding in the solution of oxidizing agent approximately 18 to 20percent by weight of calcium acetate.

5. In a process for treating hair to impart a permanent set theretowhich includes the steps of treating the hair with a reducing agent forkeratin and then treating the hair with an aqueous solution of anoxidizing agent selected from the group consisting of soluble ammonium,alkali, and alkaline earth idoates, periodates, and bromates, hydrogenperoxide and urea peroxide, the improvement which comprises including inthe solution of oxidizing agent at least 18 percent by weight of awater-soluble nontoxic salt of a polyvalent metal selected from thegroup consisting of magnesium, calcium and aluminum.

6. In a process for treating hair to impart a permanent set theretowhich includes the steps of treating the hair with a reducing agent forkeratin and then treating the hair with an aqueous solution of anoxidizing agent selected from the group consisting of soluble ammonium,alkali, and alkaline earth iodates, periodates, and bromates, hydrogenperoxide and urea peroxide, the improvement which comprises including inthe solution of oxidizing agent 20 to 30 percent by weight of magnesiumsulfate.

7. In a process for treating hair to impart a permanent set theretowhich includes the steps of treating the hair with a reducing agent forkeratin and then treating the hair with an aqueous solution of anoxidizing agent selected from the group consisting of soluble ammonium,alkali, and alkaline earth iodates, periodates, and bromates, hydrogenperoxide and urea peroxide, the improvement which comprises including inthe solution of oxidizing agent approximately 38 percent by weight ofaluminum sulfate.

8. In a process for treating hair to impart a permanent set theretowhich includes the steps of treating the hair with a reducing agent forkeratin and then treating the hair with an aqueous solution of anoxidizing agent selected from the group consisting of soluble ammonium,alkali, and alkaline earth iodates, periodates, and bromates, hydrogenperoxide and urea peroxide, the improvement 5 6 which comprisesincluding in the solution of oxidizing OTHER REFERENCES agentapproximately 18 to 20 percent by weight of calcium De Navarre: AmericanPerfumer and Essential Oil Re- 9. A hair treating composition whichconsists essentiali P g 5. d T h 1 b ly of an aqueous solution of sodiumbromate and at least 5 argann' "P an ac no Pu 0 percent by weight ofmagnesium Sulfate l61shec by lgtersclence Publishers, Inc., N.Y., 1957,pp.

acetate.

References Cited by the Examiner LEWIS GOTTS P E FOREIGN PATENTS 992 15610/1951 France 10 FRANK CACCIAPAGLIA, JR., Examiner. 295,538 3/1954Switzerland. RICHARD L. HUFF, Assistant Examiner.

9. A HAIR TREATING COMPOSITION WHICH CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF AN AQUEOUSSOLUTION OF SODIUM BROMATE AND AT LEAST 20 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OFMAGNESIUM SULFATE.